Leen Helmink Antique Maps & Atlases

www.helmink.com

Speed
The Kingdome of China


Certificate of Authentication


This is to certify that the item illustrated and described below is a genuine antique
map, print or book that was first produced and published in 1626, today 398 years ago.
December 8, 2024

Dr Leendert Helmink, Ph.D.
Cartographer(s)

Speed

First Published

London, 1626

This edition

1676

Size

51 x 39 cms

Technique

Copper engraving

Stock number

18689

Condition

mint

Antique map of China by Speed
Antique map of China by Speed

Description

The most decorative map of China, and the only one with figured borders. The geographical content is after the 1606 China map by Jodocus Hondius.

"This rare early map of China by English mapmaker John Speed, was published in his world atlas 'A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World' (1627-1676), the first world atlas by an Englishman. The maps in this atlas took as their model the Dutch 'carte-a-figures' maps of the period and included decorative border vignettes. The map's vignettes include views of the cities of Quinzay (Hangzhou) and Macao along the top border, along with wind carts and the persecution of Christians in Japan. The side borders illustrate Speed's vision of the inhabitants of China and Japan.The Japanese soldiers are possibly the first such representations on a European map. The map includes Korea as an elongated island and Japan on the Ortelius-Texeira model. The view of Macao is a fine bird's eye view copied from de Bry."

(Barron).